2 (jaylor) ethereal daylight and golden epiphanies

chapter three.

The lights went out in the stadium. The last song had played, and Taylor felt breathless, but energised.
She felt so good.
She hadn't felt like needed to faint at all - a feeling she'd not experienced yet. It was easier not feeling like that. She was ushered off the stage, and immediately looked for Joe. She couldn't see him, and found one of her security guards to ask. But she didn't even need to ask, before he smiled.
"They're waiting outside the dressing room." Taylor smiled in return. She'd just performed her first show of the Lover tour. She wanted to do a happy dance. The show had gone perfectly, she'd done everything right. It was the best way to start off the tour she could imagine. It was perfect.

Joe was leaning against the wall outside the changing room, and Taylor skipped up to him.
"I couldn't find you and I got so sad!" She wrapped her arms around his neck.
"You looked beautiful up there, Taylor." He kissed her forehead. "You did it! I told you that you could!" He spun her around.
Usually after a concert like that, she'd be shattered. But now, that she was a healthy weight and had eaten properly throughout the day, she was tired but not exhausted. And she was so, unbelievably happy.

She kissed him with a smile. "Did you see me pointing at you?"
Joe chuckled. "Of course I did! I couldn't miss it!" He cupped her cheek. "Are you happy with it?"
Taylor nodded, sighing. "I'm so happy!" She couldn't contain her happiness any longer and she squealed. "It went better than I'd hoped! They all seemed to love it - I think they did... hopefully they did." She had tried hard not to let that doubt creep in all night, but she couldn't help it.
"I know they did, Taylor. I don't know if you are able to hear just how loud they were screaming, but from where we were, it was deafening." He chuckled as he led her inside. She collapsed on the couch with a bottle of water, Patrick sitting beside her.
"I love that shirt so much." Taylor told him with a smile. She took a big drink of water. Patrick's shirt was white, but it seemed to shine purple, pink and blue depending on the light. "It really is perfect."
"I know. I saw it and I was like, wow. Taylor's going to love this." He nudged her. "No one could've sparkled more than you tonight."
"Really? I think that this shirt totally wins." She laughed.
"Are you kidding? It doesn't even compare!" Patrick laughed. He sighed, checking the time. "I'd better get back to the hotel."
"Where are you staying? We can drop you off on our way back if you've got ten minutes for me to get changed," Taylor offered.
"He's staying at the same hotel as us - right next door." Joe called over his shoulder as he was helping Taylor's mom tidy up a little. "I'd better not hear the two of you cackling all night."
"We do not cackle!" Patrick argued, but that only caused the two of them to laugh harder.
Taylor got up, grabbing her bag and going to the bathroom. She'd brought clothes to get changed into, just a pair of black leggings, a sweatshirt and she couldn't help herself, she'd brought her cat slippers too.
She shed the layer of sequins, they were golden now, she'd requested specifically to have a golden costume for the final portion of the concert. Her favourite song to sing - which was a hard decision because she loved them all equally - was Daylight. Taylor had decided to put that one as the finishing track. She felt like it tied it all together with a sparkly, golden bow.

She'd fallen asleep quickly, snuggled in Joe's arms. It didn't seem real, the fact that she had just gone and performed in front of thousands of people, and now she got to come back here and fall asleep in her lover's arms. There was nothing like that feeling.
She was so unbelievably proud of herself, she couldn't believe that she'd made it this far.
If she'd listened to those dark voices in her head all those years ago, then she wouldn't be here today.
She wouldn't have performed her best album yet in a sold out stadium. That thought made her so sad... to imagine herself missing out on the best year of her life. Missing out on all of this. She was so glad that's she'd decided to stay. Joe was right, when he'd told her when she was trying to convince him that he shouldn't be with her; nightmares end.